With the Coming of Spring
by Hikaru a
Summary: Toriru hour-fic. Takes place directly after episode 16.


With the Coming of Spring  
By Hikaru

Summary: Toriru hour-fic. Takes place directly after episode 16.

  
It seemed as if a chapter in my life was now closed. Kana had married someone else, and I was left alone. But honestly, there wasn't any hope for me in the first place. It was I who had erased myself from her memories. For her own good. I could not bear to stand by and watch the woman I love deteriorate in front of me. For her own good. But no matter how many times I told myself that, my heart couldn't help but pang. Deep inside, I regretted what I had done. I had lost the one woman who excepted me for who I was. I had lost my Spring.

Or, so I had thought.

"Hatori-san?"

Her voice rang into the room long before she entered, smiling like she always had. She was carrying a tray of tea and crackers. Unnecessary, but welcomed. I sat up from my lying position on the couch, slowly as to not become dizzy. What was with me desiring to sleep so often during this trip? This was the second time I had dozed off unknowingly. Kneeling on the floor, she placed the tray on the table before us, still smiling, eyes still shinning.

"Would you like some tea, Hatori-san?"

A half smile formed on my lips. Her kindness was contagious sometimes. "You didn't have to go to that trouble."

Shaking her head furiously, Honda-kun waved her hands frantically. Stuttering, she insisted, "N-No it's was no trouble at all!" Blinking for a second, it registered in her mind that I had been lying down. Gasping, she brought her hand up to her mouth, "Did I wake Hatori-san?! Forgive me! Forgive me! I didn't know you were sleeping!"

"Do not worry about it. Sleeping too much is bad for you."

"But not enough sleep is bad for you too!" she stressed. Honestly, did she forget that I was a doctor? "Are you sure? Because I can go and let you sleep!" She put her hands back on the tray, getting ready to leave.

"Honda-kun," I placed my hand atop of hers. The room was silent as the both of us stared at one another. Looking into this girl's eyes, I could understand why Kyo and Yuki felt so strongly about her. I could almost even understand Shigure's illegal thoughts. Almost. I swallowed hard, "Please stay. I would love some tea."

A slight blush formed on her face as she nodded. "I hope Hatori-san doesn't mind seaweed crackers."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Are you making fun of me?"

It took her a second to comprehend my accusation-- even if it was in jest. Her blush doubled as she once again shook her head furiously. "I didn't mean any offence! It was all there was the storage! Had I known that seaweed crackers offended Hatori-san I would have bought something else on the way here-"

"Honda-kun," this time, I cupped my hand under her chin. "I was only joking."

She laughed nervously, giving that look of utter cluelessness that she was so good at. "Oh... I see."

"Honestly," I chuckled quietly, "If you are going to overact with every little thing, the tea is going to go cold."

"Right!" She was still blushing.

However, she made no effort to move. We sat there, staring at each other as the steam rolled out of the teakettle. I blinked, realizing my hand was still cupped around her chin. Quickly, I withdrew my grasp, muttering, "Sorry." What was wrong with me? I was acting almost as bad as the mouse and cat. It was as if I had never been alone with a woman before. Letting out a soft sigh, I brought my hand up to the left side of my face. Honda Tohru-kun always did this to me when the both of us were alone, I had forgotten. When speaking to her at the main house that past winter, her never-ending kindness... it uneased me. Not in an uncomfortable way, I just-- wasn't sure on how to act.

"No, no, it's okay. If it wasn't for me acting so silly..."

There she went again, belittling herself again. Didn't she realize how special she really was? Couldn't she see how much we call cared for her? It was useless to even try to convince her that she was indeed not a fool, just a little absentminded. I gladly accepted the tea as she handed it to me, taking a cracker in my other hand. "Where are the others?"

"Well, Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun said they would take care of the groceries tonight... I don't know why they wanted to do it together, but I was happy to see that they were getting along after what happened yesterday. Uh... Shigure-san said something about getting inspiration by walking in the woods."

"So it's just the two of us?"

"Yes," she replied with a smile. As she poured a cup of tea for herself, the small piece of folded white paper on the table caught her attention. "Ah! What's that?"

I froze, staring at the dreaded gift from Ayame unsure what to say. Honestly seemed like the best option. "Those are pictures from Kana's wedding."

She blinked at me for a moment, putting down the teapot. "Oh," she said, her face becoming suddenly saddened. "Kana-san got married, huh...." There was a pause, as her eyes dwelled on the photos. "May I look?" I nodded, not really seeing a reason on why not to let her see them. As long as I didn't have to look at them, then I didn't care. "Kana-san's husband is very handsome," she said listfully. It was almost as if she felt the pain that I felt inside-- but that couldn't be it. Honda-kun was good at understanding feelings of people like Momiji and Kyo, who wore their hearts on their sleeves... but me? I was not so easily read.

"I wouldn't know."

"Eh?" she blinked at me as I took a sip of my tea.

Putting the cup down, I explained, "I didn't look at them. Ayame brought them here for me, but I didn't look at them."

"Ah!" She dropped the photos to the table, "I'm sorry for being so presumptuous! To look at the photos before Hatori-san got a chance to-"

"No. I didn't look at them because I didn't want to, Honda-kun."

"Oh." Her anxiousness deflated somewhat. And there was silence again as the two of us stared at each other, the pictures, and the steam coming off from our tea. "If you were wondering..." she said softly, "She looks very happy in the pictures."

A small smile came across my lips, "Good. She deserves to be happy."

"But what about Hatori-san?" she replied quickly.

I froze. That was not the response I was expecting. Clearing her throat, she broke eye contact with me, looking down to her tea. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to say anything. It's just I don't understand why Hatori-san doesn't want happiness for himself."

"I suppose I do not want to get spoiled from too much happiness." I took a sip from my tea. "After all, I do suffer from the Sohma curse-- I should not be one who looks for happiness."

"Mother used to tell me that everyone wants happiness... whether they realize it or not, they are always searching for happiness." She smiled up at me, her eyes glowing with that determination that I had grown to know oh so well. "I think Hatori-san wants to find happiness. That's why he became a doctor, right? Making people feel better makes Hatori-san happy!"

"Hmm," scratching beneath my chin, I thought about this. Damn, I hated when she was right. Of course, with those sparkling eyes of hers, she could tell you to go jump off a cliff and you would think that it was a good idea. "Perhaps you are right," but I would never admit to it completely, I added silently. "Your mother was very perceptive," I said, placing my empty cup back on the table.

"Oh, more tea?" Honda-kun reached out for the kettle, just as I did as well. Once again we froze, my hand on top of hers. Another flush rose to her cheeks. Even I felt a rush of heat flow to my face. Childish, I know, but I just couldn't help it. Honda-kun was something very special.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, not moving her hand away. Instead, she looked me in the eyes-- her bright blue eyes still sparkling.

I smiled, tightening my grip around her hand. Since I had met her, those few months ago, I had always felt a certain gravitation to her. Her smile. Her voice. Her kindness. There was no reason for her to lend me her kindness. There was no reason for her to speak to me, even. But she did, and she was ever so kind. I had only been vaguely aware of how much it affected me. Until now.

Perhaps I was seeking out happiness all along. I just never realized that it was right here.

My Spring had come in the form of Honda Tohru-kun.

  
_Fin_

  
Notes:  
Um yes. It's wrong, wrong, wrong. But so right. Indeed. Next time, it won't be such an innocent encounter *devilish grin* 

Disclaimer:   
Furuba is not mine. If it was, Shigure and Hatori would walk around naked all the time and Momiji would be my pocket friend. Fruits Basket is owned and copywrighted 2002 by Natsuki Takaya, HAKUSENSHA, TV TOKYO, NAS, and the Furuba Project. Licensed by FUNimation® Productions, Ltd. Standard disclaimers apply. 


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